Dr. Harvey B. Richer’s new Whitman Publishing book, 100 Greatest Canadian Coins and Tokens, premiered this summer at the 2022 convention of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association in Ottawa. It made its United States debut a few weeks later at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money in Chicago. Now the 160-page hardcover coffee-table volume is available from bookstores and hobby shops and online. Here, Dr. Richer gives an inside look at how he planned and wrote the book.

How does one choose the greatest coins and tokens of any country? A survey of experts? That would unquestionably turn up a huge diversity of results. Nevertheless, this was one route I took to establish Canada’s top 100 coins and tokens. There is a society of active numismatic historians and writers in Canada, the Canadian Numismatic Research Society (CNRS), of which I am a member. Other affiliates who are likely well known to the general collecting community include Paul Berry, past curator of the National Currency Collection of the Bank of Canada; Brian Cornwell, founder of the ICCS grading service, which grades and encapsulates mainly Canadian coins; and James Haxby, author of the bestselling Whitman Guide Book of Canadian Coins and Tokens. This group is not composed of active coin dealers (although there are a few in the society). Their collecting and writing tastes generally run to more eclectic subjects, such as tokens and medals.

Early in the research for 100 Greatest Canadian Coins and Tokens, David Bergeron, the president of the CNRS and current curator of the National Currency Collection of the Bank of Canada, polled the members of the society at my suggestion, asking them to name up to five of their favorite coins and tokens related to Canada. A number of very useful suggestions were proffered by the group, and about half a dozen that I had not originally chosen were included in the final list. In the end, however, the choices were largely mine.

Those well versed in Canadian numismatics may find some of the entries in my anthology a bit odd, such as wampum belts, a U.S. encased postage stamp, a Government of Newfoundland $25 bond, a very common 1938 Newfoundland 1-cent coin, counterstamped Canadian dollars, and a number of high-mintage Canadian commemorative silver dollars. It may be fair to say some of these are not even coins or tokens, and as such do not belong. But each of these selections has a wonderful story to tell related to the development of Canadian coinage, and that is what most interested me in writing this book. Of course, all the high-priced, famous Canadian coins are here, too: the 1911 silver dollar, once called the world’s most expensive coin; the gold $10 and $20 pieces from British Columbia; the 1890-H (the “H” mintmark indicating that it was struck at the Heaton Mint in Birmingham, England) 50-cent coin; the 1893 Round Top 3 10 cents; the 1936 Dot coins; and the unique 2003 gold $1 coin, among others.

Instead of ordering the coins or tokens by some criterion of greatness (for example, recent auction prices or total number of examples known), I chose to produce a more or less chronological ranking. In this way, you can make historical connections between the various entries and follow, in a more continuous and comprehensive manner, the development of Canadian coinage from the earliest examples of wampum—used in trade among the Indigenous population and later with Europeans—all the way to Canadian coinage after Confederation, when Canada had its own mint and was a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. All the physical specifications, auction details, pricing, and rarity information are included for each entry, but the narrative is a historical one.

While the title of my anthology is 100 Greatest Canadian Coins and Tokens, the book contains many more than 100 individual coins and tokens. This is because several coins and tokens have been treated in a single essay both for clarity and to reduce duplication. For example, each of the three 1936 Dot coins clearly deserves its own unique entry, but this would be unduly repetitive. Additionally, only a few examples of major varieties were included (for example, Flat Top and Round Top 1893 10 cents), and less dramatic varieties generally did not find their way into the final compilation.

Ranking the 100 Greatest Canadian Coins and Tokens

No one person should decide on the ranking of anything, let alone something as controversial as the 100 greatest coins or tokens of any country. Collectors have their own favorite areas regarding what appeals to them, from a historical perspective or because of scarcity or availability, while dealers often pursue those coins that they believe can be resold at a profit. These would introduce very different biases into the selection of the greatest coins and tokens, so I decided to let a knowledgeable cross-section of the community do this hard work for me.

I contacted a number of dealers and collectors whom I knew and asked them to contribute to the ranking process. The members of the Canadian Numismatic Research Society—the group mentioned above, of Canadians interested in the history and promotion of Canadian numismatics—were also asked to rank the entries in the book. I sent all these individuals a list of the 100 entries ordered more or less chronologically, as they currently appear in the book. The rules were few and simple:

1. No new additions allowed at this ranking stage.

2. At least 20 entries had to be ranked but, of course, more were preferred.

3. The top 100 Canadian coins and tokens were chosen from a list where a number 1 vote was worth 100 points, a number 2 vote 99 points, and so on. The weighted scores were then tabulated to produce the rank order of the entries.

Not surprisingly, the 1911 pattern silver dollar was ranked the number 1 Canadian coin or token—identical to its ranking in 100 Greatest Modern World Coins (by Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker). In fact, it would have been a surprise if the 1911 pattern dollar had not achieved this exalted position. (At one point it carried the moniker of the “World’s Most Expensive Coin.”) Ranked number 2 are the British Columbia gold coins of 1862, of which only eight are known of both denominations together. Entries 3 and 4 are the 1936 Dot set and the 1921 50-cent coin. Tokens and fiat money of various sorts fared very well, holding down nine spots among the top 20 entries.

I am indebted to the following individuals for providing their ranking choices and sharing their knowledge and experience with the collecting community: Darryl Atchison, David Bergeron, Sandy Campbell, Clément Chapados-Girard, John Deyell, Michael Findlay, Robert Forbes, Michael Joffre, Greg Jones, Robert Kokotailo, Svetolik Kovacevic, Warren Long, Oliver M., George Manz, Andrew McKaig, Barry Renwick, David Rubin, Dale Schaffer, Jared Stapleton, and Rob Turner.

Whitman Publishing’s new Guide Book of American Silver Eagles, by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez, will debut this December, available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide. Here, Q. David Bowers, the namesake of Whitman’s popular “Bowers Series” of numismatic reference books (of which McMorrow-Hernandez’s work is no. 27), reviews the new volume and shares some thoughts on American Silver Eagles.

As 2022 enters the holiday season, Whitman Publishing is releasing the first edition of the Guide Book of American Silver Eagles—and I say “first edition” because I’m certain many more will follow! The bullion coin series it covers has been with us for more than 35 years, and shows no sign of slowing down.

There’s something to be said for longevity in the hobby of coin collecting. The Bowers Series of reference books—of which this is volume 27—will soon celebrate its 20th anniversary, and I myself have been in numismatics as a hobbyist and a professional for 70 years.

Maybe you’re new to the hobby yourself, and American Silver Eagles are your gateway to the fun and excitement. Or you might be a longtime collector, and these coins are a series you’ve collected for decades, or one you’re just beginning to explore. Whatever your experience level, you have a talented guide in Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez, who shares insight to help you understand and appreciate American Silver Eagles. Read and learn from Josh’s book, and you can build a beautiful and valuable collection of your own.

Josh himself is no newcomer to the hobby. He’s written about coins for many years, as a freelance journalist, a market reporter, and a book author. His enthusiasm for American Silver Eagles is contagious!

In 1986, the year the American Eagle bullion program was launched, Florence M. Schook was president of the American Numismatic Association. My own term as president had just ended. Florence emphasized, as I always have, the importance of knowledge in the hobby, more than just buying and selling, and she dedicated her energy to educating collectors, especially young collectors. She would be pleased to see the growth in the number of coin-related books published since then, certainly in the past 20 years.

American Silver Eagles deserve their own books among the hobby’s literature. They’re popular—any program that sells 600 million or more coins is an unqualified barnburner! And they appeal to a variety of interests. Maybe you’re an investor or speculator, looking to build a reserve of precious metal. American Silver Eagles fill the bill nicely. You could be a hobbyist who collects from pocket change and has never bought a “rare” coin before, and be drawn in by the American Silver Eagle’s attractive designs. If you like challenging and interesting series, American Silver Eagles boast Proof coins of flawless quality, rarities that make the 1909-S V.D.B. cent look common, and many innovative new finishes and formats to collect. And if you’re a history buff, as I am, the American Silver Eagles beckon. They were born in a fascinating numismatic era and they connect to many points of national and international historical interest.

I remember in 1985 I was introduced at a symposium as “one of the leading figures in the coin industry.” This prompted me to reply that I don’t consider myself an industrialist—someone who presides over factories and loading docks and railroad connections. Instead, I consider myself to be a professional numismatist. I might be industrious, but I’m not an industrialist! In the same era of 1985, 1986, 1987, as the American Eagle program was in planning and then got underway, more and more newcomers to coin-collecting were expressing interest in investment and price appreciation. A senior numismatist at my firm, Bowers and Merena Galleries, shared with me typical questions he was hearing from people just entering the hobby: “What kind of profits will I see next year on coins I buy today? What newsletters should I subscribe to if I want to maximize my investment? What coin series is the hottest now? What will be hot tomorrow?”

In the Guide Book of American Silver Eagles, Josh McMorrow-Hernandez explores the almost unique collector/investor energy that these coins enjoy—part of what sells them in the millions. Not only do they capture the eyes and imaginations of hobbyists, but they also appeal to investors and speculators, the “silver bugs” and “stackers” attracted to their precious-metal content. This two-audiences-in-one appeal isn’t entirely unique: There’s another coin series that shares the same high level of popularity among both collectors and investors. That coin is the classic Morgan silver dollar of 1878 to 1921, a personal favorite of mine. Inside his delightful new book, Josh shows us why many collectors and dealers consider the American Silver Eagle to be “the Morgan dollar of today.”

Get ready to immerse yourself in one of the biggest and most important coinage programs of modern times. There’s a lot to learn in the Guide Book of American Silver Eagles, and fun to be had while collecting. Enjoy!

Whitman Publishing will release the newly expanded and updated seventh edition of A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars, by Q. David Bowers, for the 2022 holiday season. The 336-page book will be available in December from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide. In the meantime, it can be preordered (including online at www.Whitman.com).

The seventh edition’s coin-by-coin retail values have been updated in a snapshot of today’s rare-coin market, with detailed pricing in 11 circulated and Mint State grades plus 3 levels of Proof. The book includes hundreds of new images, with photographs of every date in the series plus new illustrations in the history chapters and appendices, and galleries of toned silver dollars and error coins. Analysis of certified-coin populations has been updated. The seventh edition includes an updated appendix on counterfeit Morgan dollars, based on the research of Beth Deisher, and a new appendix on the 1921–2021 centennial Morgan dollar coins. The index has been expanded for easy, comprehensive navigation of the book’s contents.

Following the format of the first six editions, the seventh includes a history of America’s silver dollar dating back to the 1790s, and chapters on the Morgan dollar’s design, how dies were made, the minting process, the five mints that struck the coin from 1878 to 1921, and Treasury hoards and other accumulations. For collectors, Bowers gives advice on ways to collect Morgan dollars; grading and the marketplace; and how to cherrypick rare die varieties. The book’s year-by-year catalog is an analysis by date and mintmark of more than 100 coins in the series. Appendices offer a report on the recent discovery of 1964 Morgan dollar dies and hubs in the Philadelphia Mint’s archives; a study of Morgan dollar patterns; a gallery and descriptions of misstruck and error Morgan dollars (including the 1882-CC “Grand Snake”); a study of counterfeit Morgan dollars in today’s market; and information on the 1921 Silver Dollar Coin Anniversary Act.

“No American numismatic library is complete without the latest edition of A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars,” said Jeff Garrett, senior editor of the Guide Book of United States Coins, in the new edition’s foreword.

The cover of the new seventh edition showcases a nearly perfect 1896-S Morgan silver dollar, graded MS-69. Positioned around it are an iridescent toned Proof of 1894; a cropped view of a 1964 Morgan dollar hub; a rare error coin, struck 25 percent off center; a 1921 “Chapman Proof,” graded PF-67; a Judd-1371 pattern struck in copper; and a 2021 coin marking the 100th anniversary of the historic Morgan dollar’s last coinage.

The Bowers Series, named for Whitman Publishing’s numismatic director, Q. David Bowers, is a popular library of numismatic books, each covering a different segment of the hobby. More than two dozen volumes have been published as of 2022, written by Bowers and other authors including David W. Lange, Rick Snow, Katherine Jaeger, Frank J. Colletti, Roger W. Burdette, Rick Tomaska, and Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez. Together they comprise more than 6,000 pages of history, market data, grading instructions, and other valuable numismatic information. Because Whitman Publishing is the Official Supplier of the American Numismatic Association, ANA members receive 10% off the book when purchasing directly from the publisher. It can also be borrowed for free as a benefit of ANA membership, through the Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library.

Visitors to the March 31–April 2, 2022, Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo in Baltimore will have early access to the 2023 (76th) edition of the Guide Book of United States Coins (known to collectors as the “Red Book”). After its Expo debut this newest edition of the hobby’s best-selling reference will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide. In the meantime, it can be preordered, including at Whitman.com and other online bookstores.

A Guide Book of United States Coins is the world’s most popular annual retail price guide for U.S. coins, tokens, and other numismatic items.

The 76th edition has been expanded to 472 pages. It prices nearly 8,000 entries in up to 9 grades each, with more than 32,000 retail valuations in total. It includes many new features and updated research, plus additions to the book’s 1,900-plus color photographs.

Senior Editor Jeff Garrett said, “Today’s rare-coin market is dominated by collectors, with an emphasis on quality. Auction records continue to be set for outstanding coins and ultra-rarities. Renewed interest in collectibles, financially flush consumers, and fear of inflation have all combined to spark demand across the board for most United States coinage. The 76th edition of the Red Book has more price increases than any in recent years.”

Editor Emeritus Kenneth Bressett has worked on the Red Book since 1959. He wrote about the first 75 years of its history in his memoir A Penny Saved: R.S. Yeoman and His Remarkable Red Book. “I pity anyone looking for auction bargains today!” Bressett said about the current coin market. “Choice coins seem to be high on everyone’s wish list. Condition and rarity prompt the most active bidding, and shocking prices. The stimulated activity has also caused price increases in many lower-grade pieces. Are prices too high? Probably not, even though the expanded competition might not last forever. Markets and collector interests have a habit of changing over the years, but seemingly always in an upward direction over any reasonable period of time. The old adage ‘The time to buy is when the piece you want becomes available’ is as true today as it has ever been. I see nothing but good times ahead.”

Research Editor Q. David Bowers calls the Red Book “the most useful single-volume reference a coin collector can add to their library.”

“Our print runs for the Red Book have sold out faster than normal in recent years,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “We see this increased demand as a measure of the hobby’s growth. The 25 millionth copy of the Red Book was sold in 2021, and strong demand continues in 2022.”

The 76th edition, with a cover date of 2023, will be available in formats including the classic red hardcover; the convenient spiralbound softcover that lies flat when opened; and the easy-to-read Large Print Edition.